are kids more contagious?

[Mayu]

I'm just curious. I don't have kids of my own, but I have a nephew. My sister brought him to visit only a few days after he had a bad stomach virus. I washed my hands constantly, threw my clothes in the laundry every other day, sprayed my bed with lysol before and after bedtime, took a shower for 30 minutes every night before bed... and I STILL caught the bug. Thankfully, my mom was sick the day before, so I starved myself all night and all the next day, and even though I did V* I only had one session, and it was only a little bile... but still, we got sick. My mom NEVER gets sick... I mean EVER. The last time she V* was around 1995 when she had food poisoning.

So it is curious... are kids generally more contagious when they're sick compared to adults? Cause despite all my best efforts, despite the fact I went 15 years without catching a bug, and my mom never got sick except for a cold or when she had food poisoning almost 20 years ago... we end up getting sick after a 5 day visit... I know my sister is going to get ticked off... but if my nephew gets sick - I'm insisting they stay home for at least 15 days, cause I hear about 14 days later they shouldn't be contagious anymore.

So I'm wondering... are kids just inherently more contagious than adults?

[Shubertgoddess]

No. You have two things working against you with small children. One, they are less hygienic and two, they touch EVERYTHING. And depending on the age, they can have a penchant for sticking their hands in their underwear. So even though you took all precautions, I'm not surprised you both caught it. Who knows what surface he touched and spread the bacteria on (unbeknownst to any of you) for you all to then ingest

[Syrup]

Nope, they are just less likely to wash properly, touch everything (they are still learning about their world, and this is a GOOD thing though we emetophobics freak out about it), and touch their face dozens of times more an hour than adults. Their immune systems are still growing so they MAY shed particles for a longer period than adults, but I doubt it makes that big a difference. With all you're doing it's beyond likely that you'll get sick. Regardless, most people aren't contagious enough to make another individual ill after 72 hours.

[Afdpt]

Unfortunately, we're all likely to catch these bugs sometimes no matter how careful we are. Kids are not, by nature more contagious. Sometimes they may be more likely to spread germs depending on their age because they may not be the best at washing their hands/not touching things. But otherwise, the exposure is the same whether you're around a sick child or a sick adult.

Glad to hear your experience being sick wasn't too bad!

[Mayu]

I suppose that's maybe why it's easier to get sick around kids. Cause they're not as clean. Lol. I always wondered cause when I had a traumatizing bug in 2000 when I was in my 20s, my parents didn't get sick... Then when my dad was in his last year, my mom and I spent a lot of time in hospitals and never caught anything... We've traveled, we go to casinos, church, 15 years, never caught anything. 4yr old nephew comes to visit a few days, boom - sick. Both me and my mom (who never gets sick... Ever)

[Mayu]

That's probably it. kids aren't very clean I guess.

It's just... Like I said, when I was 23 I had a terrible bug. The one that caused me to really have my emeto set off... My parents didn't get sick even though my dad had chemo. After that, I went 15 yrs without being ill. My mom 20... (that was bad Chinese, brute that I don't remember my mom ever sick)... And we were at hospitals with my dad in his last year, we go casino, church, travel to hotels, and never got sick until my sister and her family came to visit.

I'm just really nervous... I am going if I can pass this flu season without any v* bug, I can relax a bit. I just want to go another 15 years or more.

[Mayu]

weird. Whenever I post from my phone, it won't show up.

Anyway. I can see that I guess. Kids do touch everything. It's just odd cause, like I said... minus a food poisoning thing in the 90's I don't remember my mom ever getting sick. Even in 2000 when I had a traumatizing bug that was the worst I remember of all the 5 times I was ill, my parents didn't catch it, even though my dad was on chemo.

After that I went 15 years without a bug... despite spending weeks at a time in and out of a hospital with my dad in the last year of his life, going to the casino (which isn't the cleanest place), traveling and staying at hotels, going to church with all those people coughing... the worst I ever got was a bad head cold... until my sister and her family came to visit shortly after my nephew was sick. Boom, both me and my mom get sick. but yes... thankfully it wasn't horrible... (though after the fact, in my mind, I've warped it to be the worst thing ever. That's how my mind works. I think as it happens, "wow... it's not so bad. I faced my fear and it wasn't so bad"... but then I think after the fact, "OMG that was the most horrendous thing to ever happen to me, I think I'm going to just die if it ever happens again, I just can't go through that."

I don't know. My brain is broken I guess.

Here's to (hopefully) a new 15 year record... and maybe even breaking that record.